John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell (L-R) out on their deck in Sausalito.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell...

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Living room of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Living room of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner,...

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Amboyna burled veneer bed whose king size frame was originally a single bed in the bedroom of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Amboyna burled veneer bed whose king size frame was originally a...

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Two shell-shaped chairs in green were bought at an Art Deco show in San Francisco used in a the den of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Two shell-shaped chairs in green were bought at an Art Deco show in...

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Two shell-shaped chairs in green were bought at an Art Deco show in San Francisco used in a the den of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Two shell-shaped chairs in green were bought at an Art Deco show in...

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Dining table and chairs dating to 1930 and made of polished Amboyna burl from Germany in the dining room of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Dining table and chairs dating to 1930 and made of polished Amboyna...

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Small room with their two carved-back bistro chairs and table from Paris (c. 1929) in John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Small room with their two carved-back bistro chairs and table from...

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Reflected in a French Art Deco armoire mirror with Amboyna burled veneer is paired with a matching bed whose king size frame was originally a single bed in the bedroom of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

Photo: Peter DaSilva, Special To The Chronicle

Reflected in a French Art Deco armoire mirror with Amboyna burled...

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Outside redwood deck of John Capizzi, GM of Neiman Marcus, and his partner, Glenn Riddell home in Sausalito , California on Oct. 1, 2009.

While searching earlier this year for a place to eventually retire, John Capizzi and his partner of 20 years, Glenn Riddell, were adamant about a few things their new home had to have. First, a big shower. Second, a TV room, followed by a workable kitchen and oceanfront views.

It wasn't that Riddell and Capizzi, general manager of Neiman Marcus Union Square, didn't like their Nob Hill apartment. But they wanted a bucolic place to retreat at the end of each day that was close enough to get into San Francisco without a long drive.

Their list of household needs was seemingly iron-clad. The two met working at I. Magnin in Chicago in 1989 and by 1992 were living in Sausalito, while Riddell worked for the now-defunct I. Magnin and Capizzi was at Neiman Marcus. In the ensuing years, Capizzi's job took them to Houston and to Palm Beach and Coral Gables in Florida, where he managed branches of the company's stores.

They had learned through trial and error with each move what they liked in their various homes and what they didn't.

When Capizzi returned to the Bay Area to head the West Coast flagship store five years ago, they chose city life, convenient for Capizzi's morning walk to work (Riddell, a former executive, spends his days volunteering).

The idea of another home in Sausalito appealed, but they wanted one larger than the 950-square-foot duplex they'd once owned.

"I was dead set against anything but a water view," Capizzi said.

Then they explored a 2,200-square-foot home with views of wooded hillsides and expanses of sky above Sausalito's business district. Built by architect Don K. Olsen in 1979, it has vaulted ceilings, two bedrooms, a living and dining room, study, TV room, steam shower and an 800-square-foot wrap-around deck that allows for an indoor-outdoor lifestyle without the bother of a backyard.

"The karma was right," said Capizzi. "I walked out to the deck and said, 'Oh my God, it's so peaceful.' "

The property in the hills above Sausalito, in an area dubbed the "banana belt" for its balmy weather and lack of wind and fog, abuts state-owned open space on one side. A neighbor's house on the other is hidden by oaks.

"It's a tree-house retreat, definitely," Riddell said.

Two of their favorite belongings sit in the bedroom. A French Art Deco armoire with amboyna burl veneer is paired with a matching bed whose king-size frame was originally a single bed. French furniture-maker Christophe Brossard cut the headboard and footboard in half and made an arced extension of matching amboyna burl to create a larger frame.

In the living room, a pair of wooden chairs with carved seatbacks and a table came from a 1920s French bistro, and a dining table and chairs dating to 1930 and made of polished Amboyna burl came from Germany. Their 1940s couch has been reupholstered in mohair to give it a contemporary look.

When entertaining, they keep it simple. They invite a few couples over for Champagne and head to Sausalito for dinner, or barbecue kebabs out on the deck.

Riddell enjoys the quiet mornings and the late afternoon sun, which streams in until 5 p.m. For busy Capizzi, who commutes by ferry, the new lifestyle "is a good balance for working in the city every day."